Philippines: Saving Energy by Mixed-use Green Building

Green energy land developer ITALPINAS Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation (ITPI) is putting up green buildings in Mindanao to help people in the area cope with the blackouts as well as save on electricity consumption cost.

In a statement, Architect Romolo V. Nati, Chairman and CEO of ITPI – a by-product of a Filipino and Italian partnership – is putting green architecture design buildings in Cagayan de Oro City that help residents save as much as 32 percent in air-con energy consumption cost.

“People in Mindanao either suffer from the full force and effect of the tropical heat due to blackouts or the high energy cost of running of air-conditioning units,” said Nati, an Italian who designed and built his green condominiums in Mindanao, the Primavera Residences.

The mixed-use green building, which is comprised of two towers with 10 storeys each, has eco-friendly passive design features, such as an inner courtyard and a cross-ventilation layout among the units, which increases the natural airflow and light. It also has shaded facades to reduce direct sun illumination on the windows to reduce the internal temperature of each unit, the statement said.

“Through our inner courtyard design, the hot air goes up and creates a depression that sucks the cold air outside the building making the internal temperature cooler. Unit owners use 32% less air-con because of this feature. In the Philippines, 60% of energy consumption is for air-con, so through this we can reduce 32 out of 60, which is about 20 to 32 % less energy,” explained Nati.

“The recent blackouts that hit Mindanao showed us that we are unable to consistently secure our energy supply, it is important to conserve energy and find ways to save money in the midst of the rising price of energy supplies,” said Atty. Jose D. Leviste III, president of ITPI.

Positive effects on the occupants of the Primavera Residences include savings from energy and water bills, and exposure to natural ventilation and cool air without dependence on air-con units.

“The shading won’t allow the sun to hit the glass directly because when that happens, the temperature increases inside. So when you have shadow, you have light but it’s not hot,” Nati added.

Nati, who took architecture and graduated “summa cum laude” at La Sapienza University in Rome, has worked for numerous architectural and engineering firms in Italy and in the United States. He’s a multi-awarded architect, receiving numerous awards from international competitions in Italy and abroad.

Leviste teamed up with Nati after learning that they both share the same vision and passion in promoting sustainable development projects in the Philippines.